The Inuit are the Indigenous peoples who live in the coldest regions of Canada, the US, Greenland and Russia. For years we mainly knew them through stereotypes, but it is time to get to know them as they really are.
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They are a group of culturally and linguistically distinct Indigenous populations of the Arctic and subarctic regions. Their population is estimated at 180,000+.
They live mainly in Nunavut and other regions of Canada, in Alaska (US), in Greenland (a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark), and in Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
Of course, they refer to themselves by different names, depending on the region in which they live, the dialect they use and, more generally, their sense of identity.
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The term “Eskimo,” which for many years was used for the Inuit, likely derives from a word of the Mi’kmaq of eastern Canada meaning “those who eat raw meat.”
The Inuit never called themselves “Eskimos,” as it is considered an offensive term with culturally negative connotations, and it was first used by Europeans in the early 16th century in a derogatory way.
The word “Inuit” translates as “the people” (literally “human beings”), and has now widely replaced the name “Eskimos.”
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The traditional life of the Inuit was fully adapted to an extremely cold environment, in which plant foods were almost nonexistent and caribou, seals, walruses, whales, seabirds, fish, polar bears and reindeer were the main food sources.
Hunting provided them not only with food but also with many tools and equipment they needed, for example to build sleds—their main means of land transportation—as well as warm clothing made from caribou and seal skins.
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Do they really live in igloos?
Not exactly. Igloos, made of ice and snow, were used only temporarily, in winter or during hunting trips, when outside temperatures could reach –45°C, while inside the igloo they could reach 15–20°C.
Did they have their own sunglasses?
Yes. They were among the first to construct snow goggles, creating narrow slits in bone or wood to combat snow blindness caused by the intense Arctic sunlight.
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What is throat singing?
“Throat singing” is an Inuit tradition in which two people face one another and create songs and sounds that imitate natural sounds, such as birds, wind and water.
Is it true that to kiss they touch their noses?
Approximately. In the Inuit kiss or “kunik,” one person places their nose against the other’s cheek and gently inhales, as a sign of love, intimacy and warmth.
In 1951, 22 Inuit children from Greenland were sent to Denmark to learn the language and the Danish way of life, but they grew up alienated and returned with psychological trauma*.
Between the 1960s and 1970s, intrauterine devices (IUDs) were inserted into thousands of Inuit girls and women without information or consent, with the aim of limiting the population in Greenland, resulting in many women suffering for years.
During the same period, fishermen were forcibly relocated to the capital in an attempt to teach them new fishing methods, with many turning to alcohol or suffering from depression.
* Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, publicly apologized for this in 2022.
The Inuit are connected to one another despite living in different territories.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), founded in 1977, is an NGO that seeks to strengthen unity among them, promote their rights internationally and ensure the development of their communities.
They have concluded agreements to promote their right to self-determination, which is expressed in various forms, from self-governing regions in Alaska and Canada to the independence movement in Greenland.
Rising temperatures and melting ice threaten their traditions and lands, while restrictions imposed by environmental organizations significantly affect them (e.g. hunting).
Many Inuit have been forced to abandon nomadic hunting and now live in settlements and towns, often working in mines and oil fields.
On the other hand, their rights and the protection of their way of life are highlighted through popular social media accounts of a new generation of Inuit on TikTok, such as @shinanova and @notoriouscree.
